Nick Reiner Seeks $1.5M Trust Fund for Murder Defense, June 12

Nick Reiner, 32, filed a petition on June 8 to access a $1.5 million trust fund established by his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, to pay for his legal defense. He faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with their deaths in December. The case raises questions about California’s Slayer Statute, which blocks beneficiaries from inheriting from people they are convicted of killing, and whether funds already owed to him remain accessible.

Why the Trust Fund Dispute Matters

Nick Reiner claims the trustee has unlawfully withheld funds that legally belong to him. The trust required distribution of half its assets when he turned 30 in September 2023, but he says he never received the money. Estate attorney Sean Weissbart told USA TODAY that this timing gives Reiner grounds to collect at least part of the funds, since the payment vested more than two years before his arrest. The trustee, lawyer Paul Kanin, has allegedly denied the funds citing concerns about Reiner’s competence and intended use of the money.

How California’s Slayer Statute Complicates His Case

California’s Slayer Statute prohibits a beneficiary from inheriting from a person they are convicted of killing or proven to have killed. The second half of Reiner’s trust, due at age 35, would be blocked if he is convicted. However, experts say the first half may be protected because it vested before his parents’ deaths. The outcome depends on the specific terms of the trust document and whether a court determines the vested funds are separate from those subject to the statute.

The Defense Attorney Problem

Reiner initially hired high-profile attorney Alan Jackson, who previously represented Karen Read, but his siblings backed out of funding his legal defense. Jackson’s firm stopped working on the case when family funding failed to materialize. In his petition, Jackson declared his firm remains willing to return if funding becomes available. Without access to the trust, Reiner is relying on a court-appointed public defender. He faces a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty, with special circumstances charges for multiple murders using a deadly weapon.

What Reiner Requested From the Court

Reiner’s 136-page petition requests release of the $1.5 million trust and modest distributions for basic necessities while incarcerated, including socks and personal hygiene items capped at $300 from the jail commissary. The filing asserts that the trust terms were “mandatory and unconditional” regarding the age-30 distribution. The petition relies on the presumption of innocence, arguing that funds remain lawfully his absent a conviction. The case is still pending, and experts note an unopposed petition could potentially be granted without a hearing.

Final Thoughts

Nick Reiner’s ability to fund his defense hinges on whether a court rules that vested trust funds are legally his despite the murder charges. If the first half is released, he can rehire Jackson; if blocked, he remains with a public defender facing life imprisonment or death penalty.

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